Turquois text on a dark blue background reads North American Hand Papermakers. A line appears under the text followed by Juried Exhibition Triennial in bold. Below this is a January 16 - April 12, 2024 in bold white text, Under the white text is the show title in red lettering that is distorted to appear wavey. The title reads Sustainability in Chaos.

 

Jurors Helen Hiebert and Eileen Wallace invited twenty-nine paper artists to demonstrate their insights as artists in the chaos of today's life and how they transform chaos into a vision of what is possible. Through the medium of paper with its boundless style, sustainability, and conceptual framework, the featured artists share their responses to chaos and demonstrate how the arts and sustainability can elevate inspiration and leave a lasting impression on communities.

Today we are witnessing sudden, surprising , and sometimes unexpected changes in our time and lifestyle. Anarchy, war, and disease have become our nation's daily concerns and only news. Even if we do not face these situations directly, in our social and economic lives, wherever we are, we witness the prevalence of chaos in various forms. Artists have shown their purpose, intention, and animating spirit in chaotic human situations in different ways, such as through visualizations, music, poetry, photography, etc.. They depict it in dream-like abstractions, express it in realistic depictions of life, inform the mind, or convey their empathy through art.

Through the historical endurance of paper and its various papermaking artforms, the twenty-nine featured artists issue an invitation to a quiet and peaceful moment that evokes a pleasurable experience that offers a little freedom from chaos.

FEATURED ARTISTS:

Amanda Thackray, Ana Fernandez, Anne Marble, Chelsea Herman, Colleen Couch, Daniel Heyman, e. ainsley, Phan Hai Bang, Hazel Glass, Heather Kohlmeier, Isabella Whitfield, Jill Powers, John Vinklarek, Joyce Gold, Karen Baldner, Kerri Cushman, Kristen Tordella-Williams, Lori Spencer, Marjorie Fedyszyn, Melissa Harshman, Milcah Bassel, Muriel Condon, Neil Daigle Orians, Noah Lagle, Roberta Lavadour, Samuel Aguirre, Scott Murphy, Sophie Loubere, Tami Komai

 

RECEPTION (In-Person) 

Thursday, Feb 8, 2024, 4-7p EST

Artist Talks & Workshops  

Please note: all exhibition related programming requires registration. Virtual talks and the reception are free and open to the public but registration is still required. A workshop fee will apply to the papermaking sessions on Saturday, March 2 and Saturday, April 13, 2024.

Papermaking: Backyard Fibers (In-Person)

Saturday, Mar 2, 2024, 9-5p EST

 

Elevated Paper

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How It's Made 

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Paper in 3-D

Watch the Recording
View of entrance to Sustainability in Chaos. On the left, a large multi-paneled work of a white painted chrysanthemum on white paper, next to a banner announcing the title and dates of the exhibition. On the right, the double doors are open to the exhibition.
View of a built-in display case in the front gallery. On the left, there is an open white accordion book that displays the alphabet; below it is a model of a red and yellow machine with large rear wheels. On the right, there is a 3D spherical paper sculpture with images of blue and green triangles at the center; below is a small tan pamphlet.
Overview of the back gallery. There is a black display pedestal in the center of the room. One wall is painted blue and displays two art pieces, the adjacent wall is white and displays two art pieces.
Overview of the front gallery. In the foreground is a black and white chair on a black pedestal. On its left is an unrolled paper scroll in a display case. In the background, various art pieces are displayed on the walls.
A closeup of an black and white speckled, waffle patterned chair with a curving seat, placed on a low black pedestal.
Closeup of display case in the back gallery. On the left is a small booklet with white, tan and brown pages with mushroom themed cutouts, on a gray pedestal. Next to it is its cover wrapper, a deep brown page with leaf shaped collages on one side and dendritic cutout on the other.
On the left, a collection of six tan lengths of abaca paper strings wound and knotted in various orientations. On the right, two framed stacks of paper with grass-like etchings.
On the left wall, a paper shirt in various blues with organic red and white patterns. On the right wall, there is a collection of white paper flowers with colorful centers in various sizes.
Overview of the front gallery. In the foreground is the backside of an unrolled paper scroll in a display case. In the background are two rectangular off-white sheets with irregular edges covered in patterns and gray squares on large tan hanging panels, behind metal stanchions.
View of the back gallery. A wall painted deep blue, featuring two art pieces. On the left, three circles with swirling white and light blue patterns and various openings. On the right, a rectangular sheet of paper with rust-colored lines mirrored on a horizon line.